Williams cheats the guillotine

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Serena Williams is "terribly disappointed" with her form.Picture:Getty Images

With each day at Roland Garros, drawcards are tumbling from the cupboard as frequently as Serena Williams changes frocks. Out: defending men's champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, who followed Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick to the prizemoney window. Almost out: Marat Safin and Williams herself, a day after the departure of top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Clay is famously unforgiving and Ferrero and Henin-Hardenne were both punished for their inadequate preparation. Williams has played sparingly, by choice, but that is not so unusual and she still has managed to win five of the past six grand slams she has played.

However, Williams narrowly avoided a second-round exit that would have been the most spectacular of all. If not fully match-hardened, the second seed is at least fully fit and was playing grand slam debutante Czech Maria Kirilenko, the 17-year-old world No.100.

Williams trailed from the start, almost to the end, but escaped 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 after lagging 2-4 in the third set. As much as it displeased the pro-Kirilenko crowd that served up as many jeers as cheers when it was over, the teenager contributed to her own demise, serving two double-faults while leading 4-3 after a lucky Williams net-cord to start. That lapse aside, Kirilenko had played with remarkable poise and resolve and power that belied her slight frame.

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"I just had a bad day," said Williams, who today meets unseeded Croatian Silvija Talaja. "I couldn't keep a ball in. I think I made a thousand mistakes.

"I get better normally throughout the tournament. I don't think it's a good wake-up call, but I guess I just need to play better.

Ferrero had decided only on Monday to even compete. But, although Ferrero squeezed past Tommy Haas in four sets on Tuesday and his rib injury had improved since, his groin problem returned as his luck ran out against strapping young Russian Igor Andreev.

"I couldn't play my best tennis today, maybe because I don't feel so good physically and I couldn't arrive to the balls in the right time," Ferrero said.

"The rib was OK, but in the third set, I feel some cracks, you know, strong cracks in the adductor, and I couldn't move so well. That's it.

"It was pretty difficult to stay in the match with two injuries . . . (and) it's pretty difficult to defend a title when you are not 100 per cent."

The result also could have implications for Lleyton Hewitt, for there are now no seeded players left as potential quarter-final opponents for the Australian 12th seed, should he get past Martin Verkerk, and then either 2002 champion Albert Costa or flashy Belgian Xavier Malisse in the round-of-16.

Adding to the men's exodus was local flag-bearer Sebastien Grosjean, humbled by qualifier Italian Potito Starace, who will now play Safin.

The Australian Open finalist wriggled from the jaws of defeat in a two-day marathon against Spaniard Felix Mantilla, who served for the match three times on Thursday before darkness forced the suspension of play at 7-7 in the fifth set.

If not quite the record-breaking epic that was the Santoro-Clement match on Tuesday, it still lasted four hours 39 minutes. The Russian 20th seed finally edged ahead with a service break in the 19th game to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 11-9.

Tim Henman reached the last 16 here for the first time with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-2 win over Spain's Galo Blanco.

The defeat of Andy Roddick has left the bottom quarter of the draw wide open, in which Henman is the highest seed left.

The pick of today's men's third-round matches is between former world No.1 Gustavo Kuerten and the incumbent, Roger Federer.